Mo. education board plans more oversight in failing schools

The Missouri State Board of Education has approved plans for increased oversight of failing schools, while praising recent efforts to transfer students out of unaccredited districts.

The board’s action Tuesday, which gives the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education an opportunity to increase classroom interaction and closely monitor district finances, follows legislation approved earlier this year that removes a two-year waiting period before the state can intervene in struggling schools.

“The board very simply wanted to make it clear to the districts in question that the department has the authority of the state board behind its work, so there isn’t any question,” said Board of Education president Peter Herschend of Branson.

This fall, students in unaccredited Normandy and Riverview schools were given the opportunity to transfer to nearby accredited districts – an offer that more than 2,600 students accepted, according to state education leaders.